Give Freely or Withhold
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Proverbs 11:24-25 ESV
I read this verse a good ten times before writing, just to let it wash over my greedy heart. As Americans, we aren't even able to clearly see the selfishness we possess deep down inside. It is encouraged. It is advertised. And it is inherited. Yet, most of us, even though we are daily seeking our own fulfillment, are never satisfied.
I mean, we all know that "supposedly" it is better to give than to receive, but at the end of the day, we kind of want somebody to show up and tell us we just won the lottery! But scripture is filled with verses explaining that our hearts are actually filled when we give back to others. And we are created in God's image; the God of the universe who GAVE His one and only Son to us as a sacrifice.
I know it's natural to think of this verse strictly in terms of finances. And I do think it is referring to being generous with your finances. But I got a slightly different vision when I read this verse. I was remembering how alive I felt during seasons where I was volunteering of my time and talents often. How fulfilling it is to be apart of something bigger than myself. How my cup was full when I was spending time discipline others whose cups were empty.
The opposite is true also! "Another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." When we are focused on our own wants and needs, that is all we can see. Here are the examples that came to my mind:
Example 1. The obvious one is someone who holds on to their money, and in return, never feels that they have attained enough to start giving.
Example 2. What about an employee who views his or her job as existing to serve and pay them, and how they tend to be disgruntled and left wanting more. But those who view it as a place where they can do their work as well as serve their co-workers, help their clients, encourage their boss, etc. generally feel blessed to have their job.
Example 3. A church attender who doesn't volunteer is easy to judge the programs and desire more from them. But when you get your hands dirty helping you only WANT to give more.
Example 4. A parent that focuses on how much they need to accomplish and how their children get in the way of what they need to get done, is always left frustrated by their kids and WANTING MORE from their kids. Verses a parent who gives their time freely to their children and includes them in their day, feels the joy their children bring to their lives.
That's it friends. That's all I got. Our sinful, selfish desires lie to us and tell us to focus on what we want and need to find fulfillment. But our example is Christ. He found joy in His sacrifice. We will never achieve everything we want, and if we do, we will want more. But we can give from our emptiness or our fullness and always receive more.
Love you church.
B
Proverbs 11:24-25 ESV
I read this verse a good ten times before writing, just to let it wash over my greedy heart. As Americans, we aren't even able to clearly see the selfishness we possess deep down inside. It is encouraged. It is advertised. And it is inherited. Yet, most of us, even though we are daily seeking our own fulfillment, are never satisfied.
I mean, we all know that "supposedly" it is better to give than to receive, but at the end of the day, we kind of want somebody to show up and tell us we just won the lottery! But scripture is filled with verses explaining that our hearts are actually filled when we give back to others. And we are created in God's image; the God of the universe who GAVE His one and only Son to us as a sacrifice.
I know it's natural to think of this verse strictly in terms of finances. And I do think it is referring to being generous with your finances. But I got a slightly different vision when I read this verse. I was remembering how alive I felt during seasons where I was volunteering of my time and talents often. How fulfilling it is to be apart of something bigger than myself. How my cup was full when I was spending time discipline others whose cups were empty.
The opposite is true also! "Another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." When we are focused on our own wants and needs, that is all we can see. Here are the examples that came to my mind:
Example 1. The obvious one is someone who holds on to their money, and in return, never feels that they have attained enough to start giving.
Example 2. What about an employee who views his or her job as existing to serve and pay them, and how they tend to be disgruntled and left wanting more. But those who view it as a place where they can do their work as well as serve their co-workers, help their clients, encourage their boss, etc. generally feel blessed to have their job.
Example 3. A church attender who doesn't volunteer is easy to judge the programs and desire more from them. But when you get your hands dirty helping you only WANT to give more.
Example 4. A parent that focuses on how much they need to accomplish and how their children get in the way of what they need to get done, is always left frustrated by their kids and WANTING MORE from their kids. Verses a parent who gives their time freely to their children and includes them in their day, feels the joy their children bring to their lives.
That's it friends. That's all I got. Our sinful, selfish desires lie to us and tell us to focus on what we want and need to find fulfillment. But our example is Christ. He found joy in His sacrifice. We will never achieve everything we want, and if we do, we will want more. But we can give from our emptiness or our fullness and always receive more.
Love you church.
B
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